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Differences Between Grant And Jefferson In Ernest Gaines A Lesson Before Dying

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At the beginning of A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, Grant and Jefferson who are two black men who have drastically different views on life, they started out as bitter and angry people. Towards the end , these men evolved into caring and brave characters due to the influence of motherly-like women. At first Jefferson didn’t want to listen to Grant because he believed that life was near the end, and he thought that teaching kids wasn’t going to get them anywhere since they will eventually become the people who unload wood. Miss Emma and Tante Lou instructed Grant to visit Jefferson and see him stand up for his rights and so did Vivian, Mr.Wiggin’s girlfriend. In A Lesson Before Dying, women helped foster the development of Grant and Jefferson as characters …show more content…

Everything in the universe of blacks is repetitive to him as showcased in the quote ”After listening to one or two of the verses, I tuned out the rest of them . I had heard them all many times.” (p.33) There was a big difference between Grant’s feelings and those of the women in his life because the ladies played an active part in the church community and he was a teacher. The church and community of women are involved in the circle of submission, Grant needs faith in these ladies who are trying to make him realize that change is occurring even if he thinks black men need to conform to the rules of a white man’s world. Throughout A Lesson Before Dying , Grant and Jefferson mature and gain new aspects about life due to the guidance of three influential women. Their bond developed strong when they spent a lot of time in the jail cell together and when Grant told him what his definition of a hero was. Through community experiences and care that was received from ladies, both Jefferson and Grant were able to gain a new lens on their lives and the world around

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One lesson that Jefferson learns from Grant is that he has the potential to make a difference to the whole town. Grant teaches Jefferson how he has as much potential as anyone else. By believing in Jefferson and giving him resources, Grant helps teach Jefferson this lesson. Jefferson changes throughout his time in prison to become more aware of his worth. One way Grant helps Jefferson realize this is by organizing his students and other people from his quarter to come and visit Jefferson, this makes Jefferson realize how he matters to his community.

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In “A Lesson Before Dying”, there is a tension between how Grant sees himself and how others in his community see him. Grant has gone to a University and is now a teacher in the quarter where he grew up. To his community Grant is the most educated person in the quarter and is constantly being admired by them. Most of the admiration comes from Miss Emma in hopes that Grant can transform Jefferson into a man before he is executed. Miss Emma states, “I want the teacher visit my boy.

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This exchange was the one that showed that Grant finally got through to Jefferson. Time after time Grant brought food to Jefferson, and sat and waited for him to say something. When it was time for Grant to go, he asked Jefferson everytime if there was something he wanted to tell his nannan, a last attempt at trying to get Jefferson to say something. This time, at the end of their sessions together, Jefferson finally spoke and showed that Grant’s time with him wasn’t wasted. This time, Grant brought Jefferson pecans and peanuts that the children from the school brought him with the intention of giving them to Jefferson.

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In the novel A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J Gaines, Grant is a main character that has a lot of influence over the people in his community. Some might even consider him a hero. I believe that Grant is a hero because he helps Jefferson become a man, changes himself for the better, and wants to continue changing the community. Over the course of the novel, Grant helps Jefferson become the man that he needs to be in order to walk to his death with honor. When Grant first begrudgingly went to visit Jefferson in prison Jefferson was in a really low state.

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Undoubtedly, Grant registers the unfairness and lack of justice. Even though this is the case, Grant still continues to help Jefferson become the man he

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The young prophet, Imam Hussein once said, “death with dignity is better than love with humiliation.” In Ernest Gaines novel A Lesson Before Dying, presents the importance of dignity through the journey of a young black man and his wrongful conviction. The lesson that dignity comes from loving and being loved through the actions and thoughts of Grant Wiggins, Reverend Ambrose, and Jefferson is taught. Who these characters love, who they care for, and how and individuals that love them, define the dignity they feel and experience in their lives.

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He learns to love and accept everyone. This great personal and social improvement was caused by being let into the world that Jefferson has to face. Grant feels as if he can't stand up for the black community, but Jefferson can by dying a man, as described when he mentioned “a hero does for others. He would do anything for people he loves, because he knows it would make their lives better. I am not that kind of person, but I want you to be” (Gaines 191).

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Jefferson befriends Grant and they grow to care for one another. Grant sees that Jefferson starts to change and become a man. Jefferson becomes a man before he dies and has these last words for Grant and his community, “Good by Mr.Wigin tell

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In the novel A Lesson Before Dying” by Ernest J. Gaines Grant finds redemption by helping Jefferson, Standing up for what he believes in and changing his view on life. Grant achieves redemption by helping Jefferson become a man before he dies by helping Jefferson become a man before he dies by asking questions about his wellbeing and overall health. When Grant goes and visits

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The main conflict of the story is Grant convincing Jefferson that he is truly a man and that there is hope in the world. After Jefferson’s sentence is set, Jefferson doesn’t have hope for the world and thinks that he going to die anyways, so why care. Grant is teaching him that he can help others and that there is hope in the world and in the future. So, Grant is using character motivation to help Jefferson throughout the entire novel. The other literary term, diction, is repetition of a word to show its importance.

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On page 138, Grant visits Jefferson after Miss Emma comes home crying due to Jefferson still thinking of himself as a hog. Grant tries to get Jefferson to realize that he needs to become a man for his nannan by saying “You can keep her from crying. You can make it easier for her. You can do her that favor.”

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This is shown throughout the novel by showing that in the beginning of the novel, Grant wants nothing to do with Jefferson and his situation. As the book continues, he realizes that Jefferson is a human too and that he needs to realize how good he has it compared to some people. In the beginning of A Lesson Before Dying, Grant Wiggins struggles with accepting his responsibilities. This is shown in multiple examples. The two examples used in this paper were when Grant avoids all of his responsibilities and does not want anything to do with Jefferson.

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Grant did his best to teach Jefferson that he had worth and it paid off. “If I ain’t nothing but a hog, how come they just don’t knock me in the head like a hog? Strab me like a hog? More erasing, then: Man walk on two foots; hogs on four hoofs” (220). This quote demonstrates how Grant made a difference in Jefferson’s life and taught him to be a man of self worth.

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Grant’s girlfriend, Vivian, provides the support he needs to keep him from eluding his problems. Women in this novel play an influential part as a bridge to success in men’s lives, as Tante Lou and Vivian secure Grant 's role in the community, and as Miss Emma encourages Jefferson to die as a man. Even as Jefferson doubts the existing love for him, Miss Emma remains an influence in making him a man by going to many extents. From start to finish, she had always been the strong will who wanted the wellbeing of her godson. Knowing that the fate of her son was execution, she refused to let him die as a hog.

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Grant has gone to a University and is now a teacher in the quarter where he grew up. To his community, Grant is the most educated person in the quarter and is constantly being admired by them. Most of the admiration comes from Miss Emma in hopes that Grant can transform Jefferson into a man before he is executed. Miss Emma states, “I want the teacher visit my boy. I want the teacher make him know he’s not a hog, he’s a man” (pg.

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